Making Development Co-operation Work for Small Island Developing States
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) stand at a critical juncture on their paths to sustainable development. Economic growth, human development and vulnerability indicators point to specific challenges facing SIDS, and suggest that new development solutions and approaches are needed to chart the course to prosperity for their people and their environments. Building on a number of innovative sources of data, such as the OECD Surveys on Private Finance Mobilised and on Philanthropy, in addition to OECD DAC statistics and other sources, this report examines the financing for development resources – domestic and external – available to SIDS. It provides new evidence on sources, destination, and objectives of development finance in SIDS. It highlights innovative approaches and good practices that the international community could replicate, further develop, and scale up in order to make development co-operation work for SIDS, helping them set on a path of sustainable development.
Executive summary
Focusing on the 35 small island developing states (SIDS) that are currently eligible for official development assistance (ODA), this report provides evidence of SIDS’ vulnerability stemming from their small populations and small landmasses, spatial dispersion and remoteness from major markets, and high exposure to external shocks, including severe climate-related events and natural disasters. While three fifths of SIDS are upper middle-income countries, they are among the most vulnerable developing countries. Compared to larger upper middle-income countries, SIDS in this same income group are 73% more vulnerable. The persistence of these vulnerabilities and of fragile growth patterns suggests that new development paradigms and solutions are needed to chart the course to sustainable development in SIDS.